Hand and Stone
by Morenar
Summary: How Tezuka and Oishi became friends in the First Year.


**Hand and Stone, Heart and Soul **

**(Tezuka and Oishi story)**

On the first day of Middle School, Tezuka sat behind Oishi. They did not speak to each other.

On the second day, Oishi stood behind Tezuka while they queued up to hand in their Tennis Club entry forms. Oishi smiled when Tezuka turned around and nibbled at a corner of his form nervously. They did not speak to each other.

On the third day at recess, Oishi said hello as he passed Tezuka in the corridor. Tezuka nodded back politely.

On the fourth day, they attended the first tennis practice. Tezuka demolished two Year Two students (6-0,6-0) right-handed. Oishi stood by the side and wondered if he could ever play as well Tezuka. Tezuka did not talk to anyone. None of the Year One members talked to Tezuka either.

On the fifth day, Oishi played one set match against another Year One student, Inui Sadaharu. He lost 6-2. Tezuka played against a regular member and won 6-1. Then, Tezuka played against Inui, dominating him with 6-0. Oishi wondered if Tezuka was even human.

That evening, the coach, the captain and the vice-captain were away in meeting. The regular members dismissed all the club members. Oishi waited for 15 minutes for Tezuka to come into the club house to change. Then, he went back out to the courts to find Tezuka cleaning the whole place by himself. Oishi tried to help but Tezuka refused and told him to go home. It was the first time Tezuka spoke to him. Oishi decided Tezuka was still a Year One like him. He didn't have to obey Tezuka completely. He sat at the bench and waited till Tezuka finished. It was late evening, almost dark, when Tezuka finished. They did not speak to each other again. But they walked home together, just before the school gate was locked.

On the sixth day, which was a Saturday, Oishi screwed up his courage to talk to Tezuka again. He kept running into Inui the whole day, like Inui was a second shadow to Tezuka. He didn't have a chance to catch Tezuka alone. He had to wait till after practice, changing hurriedly before running pell-mell after Tezuka. Tezuka must have heard his footsteps. He did not turn around, but he stopped and waited at the gate for Oishi to catch up. Oishi tried to ask him to play tennis, but the words got stuck in his throat. Instead, it came out as asking Tezuka to go to the swimming pool next to the tennis court on Sunday. Tezuka cocked his head, looking confused. Then, he simply said he can't swim. Oishi ended up promising to teach Tezuka how to swim.

On Sunday, Tezuka sank like a stone. Oishi had to hold his hands to keep him afloat till he relaxed enough to float by himself. But he still sank when Oishi took his hands away. Oishi could not explain it. Tezuka could float if Oishi was touching him. Even when it was just by their fingertips and Oishi was not supporting his weight. But he sank the second they broke contact.

On Monday, Oishi had stayed back for cleaning duty. Tezuka was standing at the gate when he came out. Tezuka did not say anything. He started walking when Oishi caught up with him. Oishi kept silent and followed Tezuka's shadow.

On Tuesday afternoon, Tezuka was left to clean up after practice again. Oishi waited for him at the bench. After everyone had gone home, Tezuka packed up all except one net. He played three sets with Oishi. Oishi lost 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. But it was the most incredible tennis he ever played. Even when he lost every point, he felt like he played better tennis than ever before. They cleaned up together. Then, they walked home together.

On Tuesday night, Tezuka could not sleep. He kept replaying the match with Oishi again and again in his mind. Oishi may not be as good as Inui or Fuji. He noticed Fuji's skills, but he would not remark on it as long as Fuji did not wish to be noticed himself. Oishi was better than Kawamura in terms of precision and technique. But Kawamura packed a lot of power in his balls, so he could get away with less technique. There was something to Oishi's game that he could not pinpoint. It bothered him. Oishi lacked experience and self-confidence. But he had potential. He should be better, but Tezuka could not figure out why he wasn't. Oishi had something special that Tezuka recognised, but could not identify. He thought he was lacking that special element. That was why he could not identify Oishi's special something. Tezuka decided he had to go back to basics. He dug out his old tennis books and read late into the night.

On Wednesday, Tezuka gave Oishi a book titled _Tennis: Doubles for Beginners_. He said Oishi was a Doubles player and Seigaku's current Doubles candidates were terrible. He thought Oishi might set a new standards for Doubles in Seigaku.

Oishi denied that. He had never tried Doubles before. He was too afraid he would drag his partner down. Oishi thought, with Tezuka in the team, they might have a decent chance at Kantou level that year. Tezuka looked surprised. Why stop at Kantou when the Middle School All Japan Tennis Tournament culminated in the National level? They should aim for Nationals.

Oishi knew he wasn't as good as Inui or any of the senior regular members. He can't imagine playing tennis competitively, much less in such dizzying heights as Nationals level that Tezuka was asking of him. But when Tezuka said they will win through Nationals, he believed it could be done. Tezuka also said it can't be done as long as Seigaku did not fix their Doubles line up properly. Tezuka said Oishi was key to that future. Oishi thought he was dreaming. Tezuka said Seigaku needed both of them to make it happen. Tezuka to set the standards for Singles, Oishi for Doubles. When Tezuka said it like that, Oishi knew that was what will be. Oishi would support him with all his heart.

Oishi read the book cover to cover. He carried it with him everyday throughout the year. It was the book that brought Eiji and him together. After he learned it by heart, dog-eared and wrinkled in the spine, he kept it at a special place in his bookshelf.

After two weeks, Tezuka spoke up first time in class. He raised his hand in the middle of lesson. Then, he pointed out that Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in 1543, not 1345. Two days later, he was voted as representative for Class 1-1 during Home-room.

The next day, Oishi asked to be placed in Doubles training. Yamato-buchou praised him for his initiative. The rest of Year One members were not happy.

Everybody wanted to eat lunch with Tezuka. But Tezuka did not like to eat lunch with anyone. He usually waited till almost everyone left the classroom, politely declining invitations. Even when Inui came over from next door. Then, when he felt he would not be disturbed, he would take out his bento and his homework.

No one ever asked to eat lunch with Oishi. So, he ate lunch at his desk in front of Tezuka. That was how the rumours started about Oishi currying flavour with Tezuka. Worming his way into Tennis Club regular spot through Tezuka and Yamato-buchou. Oishi tried to pretend that it did not affect him, like nothing affected Tezuka. But it hurt all the same. He could not bear hearing Tezuka's name tarnished for his sake. So, he stopped eating lunch in the classroom.

He went all over school to look for a quiet hidden spot. But no matter where he ended up, Tezuka would appear five minutes later with his own bento. He would ask politely if the spot next to Oishi was occupied and if he could sit there for lunch. Tezuka never asked Oishi to lunch with him. Oishi never extended any invitation. But Oishi thought he was the luckiest boy in the world. No matter what other people say about him, he knew who his real friend was and where he truly belonged.

They played lunchtime hide and seek for three weeks. Then, Kikumaru transferred to Seigaku. They hit off immediately with each other. Within two weeks, Kikumaru was the centre of Oishi's social life. Kikumaru was very vocal and very social. He always asked Oishi and Tezuka for lunch. Oishi could not refuse, while Tezuka always declined.

Tezuka thought Kikumaru, being an aggressive attack-based player, would make a perfect partner for the cautious defensive Oishi. But he was just a lowly Year One without any say in the team line up. Next year, he would be a Year Two. He would be a regular member, there was no doubt in his mind. Then, he would have some say in how the team would be like. For now, he could only stand aside and let nature takes its course. For now, all he needed to do was to step aside and let Kikumaru draw Oishi out the only way he could. For that was Kikumaru's special talent.

The first inter-ranking tournament brought a buzz of excitement to Tennis Club. The first being Inui stalking every court, especially wherever Tezuka was playing or practising. The second was Fuji asking him for a match. Tezuka only had a glimpse of Fuji's real skill. He knew Fuji was better than all the other regulars, except Yamato-buchou. That was only because he had never seen Yamato-buchou played, so he did not know the extent of Yamato-buchou's tennis. He did not know how good Fuji really was. It wasn't that he did not know, rather, he could not tell because none of the people Fuji played with were good enough to bring out his real tennis. Tezuka thought, if he wanted to see the real Fuji, he had to play Fuji himself. So, when Fuji asked, even though it was bending the rules, he readily agreed.

Yamato-buchou wanted to put Tezuka's name on the list of candidates for the ranking tournament. There were much objections to his suggestion since Tezuka was still a Year One member and it was against tradition. Yamato did not argue back. He simply said he will play a three-set match with Tezuka to prove his point. Tezuka won with his right hand 6-3, 6-1. It shut all the objections up pretty quickly. But Tezuka thought Yamato-buchou did not play well at all, though he played better than all the current regulars. He could not figure out why.

Then, another rumour started about Tezuka being left-handed. Tezuka did not see what was the big deal about being left- or right-handed. He refused to play left-handed and he did not see why it was anyone's business how he played tennis as long as he played his best. As long as he could handle the game level and delivered the results expected of him. Besides, his right-handed strokes needed more work than his left-handed ones.

What he failed to see was petty jealousy and simmering resentment. He tried to see the best in other people. Really, he tried. But when his senpai hit him with a racquet, the shock of the action and his bitter disappointment at human nature hurt worse than his bruised arm. He was angry. Angry beyond anything he felt before. He lashed out with the most humiliating words.

"Don't mess with me! How many years have you played tennis? Racquet should not be used to hurt other people._"_

Silence hung in the air.

_Is this the kind of example you want to set for your juniors? Is this the kind of attitude you want to teach those that look up to you? _remained unspoken, but it rang loudly in every ear.

He could not stop his tongue once he started. "If this is that kind of club, I don't want to be a part of it. I quit!" He did bit back the worst of it.

_I am ashamed to be part of this. You should be ashamed for allowing this kind of behaviour._

He did not say those words, but his meaning was clear. It was not entirely Takeshi's fault. He knew the others had been egging him, simply because he had a reputation for short temper. He laid the ugly truth of their cowardice bare in their conscience.

He was still angry when Yamato-buchou made them run laps. He tried to tell himself to calm down. That Yamato-buchou wasn't to blame because he wasn't there to stop it. But watching the senior members run ahead of him, with the regulars leading the pack, something burned inside him.

He knew the seniors had failed him and all his peers. Someone had to set an example for the future generation. If there were no one capable, he would have to do it himself. He would show them what real commitment and real skill meant. It wasn't natural talent like a gift dropped from the sky. It had to be duly earned. It was hard work and true determination.

He ran his laps with self-righteous dignity. He ran the way he ran best. Easy wide loping strides that ate the ground. Efficient, fast and steady. The kind of pace that he could keep up for hours, for hundreds of rounds. Even so, it was faster than the pace set by the regulars. He quickly caught up and overtook the front runners. He did not slow down nor look at anyone. Let them judge for themselves the merit of his words and his actions.

As he ran, he burned the anger and indignation out of his system. Running always helped him calm down. Slowly, he remembered his promise to Oishi. All the things he wanted to do in the Tennis Club to help them develop the highest potential they could reach. He was so focused in his own thoughts, he almost ran into Oishi. By the time he pulled to a stop, he had cooled off.

When Oishi persuaded him to stay, his stubborn words stuck in his throat. He could not say it again. If he said he wanted to quit, he knew he would let Oishi down. He knew he was setting a bad example for Oishi. He would take away whatever confidence and progress Oishi had achieved till then. So, he swallowed his pride and let Oishi persuade him to stay.

But he promised himself, whatever it takes, he would set a firm and lasting example in Seigaku. He had to do it because there wasn't anyone else capable of it. He needed a lesson and a legend to be passed down from one generation of students to another. There was only one way to do that.

He knew Oishi thought it would be awesome if they could qualify for Nationals. But Tezuka would not settle for that. Nothing was going to stop him from the Championship title. He knew Yukimura and Sanada were waiting for him. He would not disappoint them. He had more than one promise to keep.

And Tezuka Kunimitsu always, always keeps his promises.

**Notes:**

Te in Tezuka means Hand.

Ishi in Ooishi means Stone.


End file.
